Gun sight



Sept. 2, 1947. P. G.v BENNETT Filled April 1, `1945 Patented Sept. 2, 1947 .TES ATENT GUN SIGHT' Paul G. Bennett, Boston, Mass.

Application April l, 1943, Serial No. 481,417-

l Claims'. l

My invention relates to guns and the like, and is particularly concerned with means for properly aiming the gun on the target.

The invention, which has among its objects the provision of gun aiming means which will automatically cause the gun barrel to be elevated to the proper angle for different ranges when the gun is sighted on the target, will be best understood from the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawing of a specific embodiment of the invention, the scope of lwhich latter will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of the gun embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan, on an enlarged scale of part of the gun aiming mechanism of the gun according to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line With parts in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line ed of Fig. 3 with parts in elevation;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the part of the gun aiming mechanism of Fig. 2;

Figs. 5 and 7 are, respectively. sections on the lines 6 5 and l--l of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 3' of Fig, 1.

The gun according to Fig. l is provided with a front sight i mounted upon the gun barrel 3, and with an adjustable rear sight 5 carried by an elongated tubular casing l of square cross-section. As shown, this casing is ixedly mounted on the gun barrel by means of the U-shaped clips 9. As shown, the clips have portions it' tting the gun barrel, which portionsl are clamped' to the barrel when the screws il securing the free ends of the clips to the casing are tightened.

The rear sight 5, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, comprises a disk-like member having a circular V-shaped groove l2, so that by alignment of the groove and the front sight l the gun may be optically sighted on the target inthe usual manner, the elevation of the rear sight determining the vertical angular elevation of the gun barrel when the gun is so sighted.

As shown, the rear sight is carried by arms I3 iiXedly secured to the projecting opposite ends of a shaft l5, which shaft is rotatably 3 3 of Fig. 4f

mounted in the opposite vertical walls ll of the tubular casing l. This shaft extends through a sleeve I9 upon one end of which is positioned a. gear 2|, a set screw 23 extending through the hub of the gear and the sleeve serving to secure the two xedly to the shaft. In spaced relation 2. to the shaft I 5 is a second shaft 25, also rotatably mounted in the vertical Walls Il of the casing l, one projecting end'of the shaft 25' carrying a knob 21 for rotating it. On the shaft 25A is' a sleeve 29, and at one end of the sleeve is a pinion 3l meshing with the gear 21|, the set screw 33 serving i'lXedly to secure the' pinion and sleeve to the shaft.

By the above described mechanism', when the knob 2l is rotated the shaft I5 willV be rotated through the pinion 3f and gear 2l and raise or lower the` rear sight 5 depending upon which direction the knob isl rotated. As shown, for holding the rear sight in' the position to which it is adjusted by rotation of the knob, slidably fitted over the sleeve i9 is a sleeve 35 and a spring washer 31, one end of the sleeve bearing against the hub ci the gear 2l, While its opposite end bears against the washer to press the latter under initial compression against the adjacent vertical Wall. Il of the casing l' when the parts are assembled.

As so far described it will be observed that optical means afforded by the front sight l' and rear sight 5v areA provided for sighting the gun on the target, the rear sight 5v constituting a movable sighting part for determining the angle of elevation of the gun barrel when the gun is so sighted.

Further, included in the optical means for aiming the gun on the target is triangulation means adapted to focus the target. This triangulation means may take the form of a range nder of which there are many types. Common to all these types, however, is the inclusion of an adjustable triangulating part, usually comprising a mirror or prism for reecting a beam from the 'object or target, which part is adjusted into position to cause the target to be focused, the adjusted position of 4the part to secure this focusing being dependent upon the range of the target.

As shown', the range nderor triangulation means comprises an eyepiece 391 with an associated lens 6I, opposite which lens is positioned a pair of mirrors 43 and 65, these mirrors being respectively oppositely inclined at to the longitudinal axis of the casing 'I and being superimposed one above the other. Adjacent opposite ends of the casing are object glasses il and @u respectively, and opposite these glasses are mirrors 5l and 53 respectively, the mirror 5l being fixed and the mirror 53 being hingedly supported on a pivot pin 55. A beam of light from the target passing through the object glass lll will be reflectedv by the mirror 5l to the mirror i3 and from the latter will be reected through the lens di to the eyepiece to form an image of the lower half of the target. A beam of light from the target passing through the object glass i9 will be reflected by the mirror 53 to the mirror 45 and from the latter will be reflected through the lens lll to the eyepiece to form an image of the upper half of the target. When the target is out of focus these image halves will be out of coincidence. However, by adjusting the mirror 53 about its pivot, the upper image half may be brought into coincidence with the lower image half, under which conditions the target is in focus.

As shown, the frame of the mirror 53 comprises a tubular part through which passes the pivot pin 55, the opposite ends of the latter being nxedly carried by the upper and lower horizontal walls '5S of the tubular casing 1. The part 5l', as shown, is integrally formed with a laterally projecting arm 6| to which is secured a spring member 53 bearing against the adjacent lower Wall Il of the casing so as to urge the mirror to swing clockwise as viewed in Fig. 3. Integrally carried by the back of the frame of this mirror is a projecting cam follower 55 adapted to ride on either of the cams B1 or 69. These cams, which are of different shape, are, as shown, rigidly secured together by means of a screw 'H and are splined to the sleeve 29 by means of a key i3 carried by the cams slidably fitting a longitudinally extending keyway 'M formed in the sleeve, so that the cams may be shifted longitudinally of the sleeve to cause them selectively to cooperate with the cam follower. For so shifting them, the hub portion of the cam Sl is formed with an annular circumferential groove 15 into which extends the end of a pin l1. This pin is fixedly carried by a knob 19 rotatably mounted on the exterior of the adjacent wall 59 of the tubular casing l, the pin extending through an arcuate groove 8| in said wall. By rotating the knob 'i9 the pin will be moved to shift either the cam 6l or 69 selectively into cooperating relation with the cam follower 65. To enable the cams to be so shifted they may be turned by the knob 2l' to rotate them clockwise from their position shown in Fig. 4, so as to present their back portions 83 to the cam follower, which back portions are of the same diameter. For limiting the maximum movement of the knob 21 in a counter-clockwise direction the hub of the knob is provided with a projecting pin 85 which eooperates with a stop pin 8l carried by the adjacent wall (l of the tubular casing l, these pins being in contact when the parts are in the position shown by Figs. 3 and 4.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the mirror 53 is in position to focus a target at longest point blank range. By rotating the knob 21 clockwise from its position shown in these figures, the cams 69 and 6T will be correspondingly rotated to cause the spring member 53 to turn the mirror clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 3, so as to focus more distant targets. At the same time this clockwise rotation of the knob 21 will elevate the rear sight 5. The cams are so shaped that the rear sight will be at the proper elevation at any given range of the target when the mirror 53 is adjusted to focus theV target at that range. Two cams are provided to take care of cartridges having diierent weights of bullets or diierent explosive charges, it being common practice to supply at least two such types of ammunition for a gun. However, if desired, three or more cams could be provided to take care of a corresponding number of different types of ammunition.

It will be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, wide deviations may be made from the forms of the invention described without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. A gun or the like having, in combination, a support extending longitudinally of the gun barrel in closely adjacent relation thereto; optical triangulating means carried by said support for receiving light coming from the target when said barrel is positioned transverse to the direction of the target from the ring station; said triangulating means comprising an eyepiece arranged transversely of the gun barrel and a plurality of cooperating light directing parts arranged in spaced relation longitudinally of the gun barrel for directing to said eyepiece the light received from the target, one at least of which light directing parts is adjustably movable for focusing the target when viewed through said eyepiece, the adjusted position of which part is dependent upon the range of the target when the latter is in focus; adjustable gun sighting means, the adjustment of which determines the necessary angular relation between the line of sight and the gun bore to compensate for range; means for coordinately adjusting said gun sighting means and movable light directing part in such wise that when said target is brought into focus said gun sighting means will be adjusted for the range of the target; and a single manually operated member for operating the last mentioned means.

2. A gun or the like according to claim 1 in which the gun sighting part comprises a rear sight being so mounted that it may be elevated relative to the gun bore and constituting the adjustable gun sighting means coordinately adjusted with the movable light directing part.

3. A gun or the like according to claim l in which the gun sighting part comprises a rear sight, the latter being mounted for swinging movement for elevating it relative to the gun bore vand constituting the adjustable gun sighting means coordinately adjusted with the movable light directing part.

4. A gun or the like according to claim 1 in which the means for coordinately adjusting the 'gun sighting means and movable light directing part comprises selective cam means for differently coordinating the adjustment of said gun sighting means and light directing part for compensating for dierent kinds of ammunition.

5. A gun or the like having, in combination, an optical range finder comprising a tubular casing extending longitudinally of the gun barrel in closely adjacent relation thereto, an object glass and eyepiece carried by said casing in spaced relation longitudinally of saidl barrel with their axes transverse to said barrel, a rear sight movably carried by said casing adjacent its rearward end for adjusted elevation relative to the gun bore, a manually movable member carried by said casing exteriorly thereof for focusing the range nder and adjusting the elevation of said rear sight, and means interiorly of said casing operated by said member for so coordinating the focusing movement of the range iinder with the movement of said rear sight as to cause the latter to be at the proper elevation for the range of the target when the range nder is focused on the target.

6. A gun or the like according to claim in which the rear sight is swingingly carried by the casing for adjustment of its elevation relative to the gun bore.

7. A gun or the like according to claim 5 in which the means operated by the manually movable member includes selective cam mechanism for differently coordinating the elevating movement of the rear sight with the focusing movement of the range finder for compensating for different kinds of ammunition, the casing carrying manually operable means for effecting such selection.

8. A gun or the like according to claim 5 in which the rear sight is mounted on the casing for swinging movement for adjustment of its elevation relative to the gun bore, and the means operated by the manually movable member includes selective cam mechanism for differently coordinating the swinging movement of the rear sight with the focusing movement of the range finder for compensating for different kinds of rammunition, the casing carrying manually operable means for effecting such selection.

9. A gun or the like according to claim 5 in which the rear sight is mounted on the casing for swinging movement for adjustment of its elevation relative to the gun bore, and the means operated by the manually movable member includes cam mechanism for controlling the swinging movement of the rear sight for so coordinating such movement with the focusing movement of the range finder that the rear sight Will be at the proper elevation for the range of the target when the range finder is focused o-n said target.

10. A gun or the like having, in combination, an optical range finder adapted tobe focused on the target, said range finder comprising a tubular casing extending longitudinally of the gun barrel in closely adjacent relation thereto adjacent one end thereof, said casing carrying a range finder eyepiece and having means for receiving light coming from the target when the gun barrel is positioned transverse to the direction of the target from the firing station and directing such light to said eyepiece whereby the target may be viewed through said eyepiece and the target focused when said barrel is in that position, a gun sight movably carried by said casing adjacent one end thereof for adjusted elevation relative to the gun bore, and means operated by a manually movable member carried exteriorly of the casing for focusing the range finder and adjusting the elevation of said sight, which means comprises mechanism housed by the casing for coordinating the ,movement of said sight with the focusing movement of the range nder in such wise that when the latter is focused on the target said sight will be at the proper elevationfor the range of the target.

PAUL G. BENNETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

